Students at Manor Croft Academy, Dewsbury have been learning how
to keep safe from grooming and sexual exploitation, thanks to
funding from West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner. The Year
9 and 10 students have been taking part in a 6 week programme
called Respect Me Too run by Huddersfield social enterprise Freedom
Personal Safety. The funding was awarded from the PCC's Safer
Communities Fund which uses the proceeds of crime to support local
safety initiatives.

Freedom Personal Safety were
awarded over £5000 to run 4 programmes across Kirklees at 3 high
schools and a pupil referral unit. Students have been
learning about healthy relationships, abuse, grooming, sexting and
child sexual exploitation. As part of the programme the students
create their own projects which they present to other
students at the school to raise awareness of these issues. The
students performed a powerful dance about grooming, an original
Spoken Word on consent, a thought-provoking poster on hidden abuse
in teenage relationships and a handy help and support
guide.

Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson presented
certificates to the students and commented "It is important for
young people to be able to learn how to better protect themselves.
The Respect Me Too programme provides the skills, knowledge,
confidence and awareness of how sexual exploitation and grooming
take place and how they can reduce the risk of becoming a victim. I
am pleased that the Safer Communities Funding, which is provided
using money seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act,
is being used to help educate young people and to make them safer
and feel safer."

Freedom Personal Safety have a track record in this field,
running awareness and prevention programmes in primary and high
schools as well as youth settings across West Yorkshire and Greater
Manchester. Director, Julie Tweedale said 'this funding has enabled
us to reach hundreds of young people across Kirklees and share
vital messages about grooming and exploitation. What works really
well is the students taking ownership of the issues and educating
their peers.'

Manor Croft Academy is one of 3 Kirklees schools to benefit from
the programme, principal Hayley Clacy said "We were delighted to be
chosen to take part in this project because it deals with the most
important topic of all; keeping young people safe. It is
vital that our young people grow up having the ability to recognise
negative relationships and the confidence not to accept them. I was
extremely proud today, not only of the young people delivering this
very difficult message but also the students who listened
well and it is another example of how the Academy is moving
forward".